May 31, The past month was marked in our ministry by the following events.

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1 May 31, 2018 Peace to you, dear fellow workers in the field of the Lord, relatives and friends! "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!" (1 Corinthians 1:3) We hope that you all experience the leadership and comfort of the Holy Spirit, whose descent on the Apostles we celebrate this month. We congratulate you on this wonderful holiday, the Day of Pentecost, and wish that each of you is filled with the Holy Spirit. May was sunny and very warm in Moldova. Lilac, acacia and chestnuts quickly blossomed. Now a linden tree blossoms, jasmine filling the air with a special aroma. The air temperature has risen to degrees Celsius. Rains are not frequent. The past month was marked in our ministry by the following events. A pleasant event took place on May 5. I had the privilege of marrying a young couple, Shovkat and Manzura. Both are second-year students of the missionary faculty of our University. Shovkat came to Moldova from Uzbekistan, and Manzura from Tajikistan. Here they met, fell in love, and decided to marry, without waiting for graduation. Both of them were my students. Most of the wedding guests were also students or teachers. The bride and groom are very beautiful. The wedding dinner was held at the University and, according to the Asian tradition, was noisy and cheerful. During dinner, the father of Manzura, who is a servant of the Tajik national church, shared with me about the life and experiences of Christians in his country. 1

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3 On Sunday, May 13, I preached in our church Bethany. It was Mother's Day in America and so I talked about the role of mothers in the transfer of faith to their children. This holiday is not yet celebrated in Moldova. I hope there will come a time when this tradition will find its place in this country. From May 7 to May 23, the student groups I taught at the University took their exams. This is a busy time for students. For teachers, also, this time carries additional loads. It is necessary to check the results of examinations, as well as the written work of students. All this must be done at a certain date, by the end of the semester. For this reason, May is a difficult month for both students and teachers. And this month finishes the spring semester. The summer is ahead. For most students, this is the time of missionary trips and active participation in the ministry of local churches. For teachers, this is a time of well-deserved rest, preparation of new courses, spending time with their families and participating in the ministry of local churches. Be quiet! Exam is in progress! 3

4 This is my smallest group. Their major is in pastoral ministry. Nice young Moldovan men. This group of students is majoring in business management. The picture is taken before the exam. 4

5 On Sunday, May 20, Nina and I visited the church in the village of Cricova, which is located 14 km from Chisinau. This is a small town, known for its wine cellars, which are located just below the city in a kind of "catacombs", formed as a result of mining a building stone called "cotelets". In this village there is a church formed after the collapse of the USSR. Currently, it has more than 100 members. The congregation meets at a beautiful building located on a beautifully designed plot. Presbyter Sergei Namestnik, who founded this church, is still its leading pastor. At the same time, he is also the President of the University of Divitia Gratia. Sunday worship was simple and warm. I preached the Word.. Here is one of the youngest participants of Sunday service. She is singing for the Lord. 5

6 Youth is participating at Sunday service on May 20. There are some students from my university are part of this group. They are attending this church during the school year. On May 22, Nina and I celebrated the 41st year of our life together. We are sincerely grateful to God for His abundant blessings that we have experienced in our family during these years. 6

7 The holiday of the Trinity, which was celebrated in Moldova on May 27, we celebrated in the church "Good News" in city of Tiraspol, which is located in Transnistria. This is the former part of Moldova, which has existed independently for 25 years. The socalled "Transnistrian republic" is not recognized by anyone in the world, but it tries to survive as an independent state. The festive service was alive and full. There was participation from children, youth, adults, and even elderly believers. I was given the opportunity to say the final sermon on the theme of the holiday. We have a pleasant impression of this church. Unfortunately, like in some other churches of Moldova today, there is no leading pastor in this church. His role is taken by the deacons. After the end of the service, the deacon in charge at the moment asked me to inform about the need of the local church in the minister wherever I have to go, and maybe one of the ministers would like to move to Tiraspol and accept the ministry of the leading pastor. 7

8 After the end of Sunday service people are not in a hurry to go home. Despite of hot weather they are enjoying each other s company at the church s property. 8

9 After the festive service in the church in Tiraspol, Nina and I visited a family-type orphanage in city of Bender, which is located next to Tiraspol. We have visited this orphanage more than once in the past, and I wrote to you about this. Children already know us and are happy to see us. We spent some time with them, gave them gifts, and prayed with them. For us, such a visit is always very touching. On the one hand, it is sad that children do not have parental care. On the other hand, it's good to see that there are people who sacrificed their comfort and dedicated their lives to serving these orphans. Although it is impossible for us to hold our own grandkids on our laps, we still are able to share our love with those children who don t have grandparents at all, even overseas. 9

10 Eating together is making food even tastier! Traditional picture taking before our departure. 10

11 Thank you very much for your prayer support! Please continue to pray for our ministry here. We need physical health, spiritual strength from above, in God's leading and wisdom in making various decisions. Our prayer for each of you is that the Lord help you live your life so that there is no regret in eternity about it. "And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you. So that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. (1 Thessalonians 3: 12-13). With love for you and prayer for you, Your co-workers in the field of the Lord, Vyacheslav and Nina Tsvirinko ========================================================================== Below are few spring Moldovan views: A view from the window of our apartment on the seventh floor. 11

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13 13 A bee is busy getting nectar from the flower.

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